Brazil coach Scolari in London on World Cup mission

16Rio de Janeiro, April 5  Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will use a fleeting trip to London this weekend to help decide the remaining places in his World Cup squad.

The 65-year-old will attend Saturday’s Chelsea-Stoke clash at Stamford Bridge and Sunday’s West Ham-Liverpool fixture at Upton Park, Brazil’s football confederation said in a statement Friday, reports Xinhua.

Among the players on Scolari’s radar will be Chelsea’s David Luiz, Oscar, Willian and Ramires.

But of greater interest to the Selecao boss could be Sunday’s clash, featuring Liverpool duo Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Leiva.

Despite making his international debut under Mano Menezes in 2010, Coutinho has been unable to break into Brazil’s squad under Scolari, who has been spoilt for choice in attacking midfield.

But the 21-year-old’s key role in Liverpool’s Premier League renaissance this season will not have gone unnoticed.

Leiva, meanwhile, is keen to regain the Brazil coach’s confidence after missing more than two months with a knee injury.

Scolari, who is being accompanied by his assistant coaches Carlos Alberto Parreira and Flavio Murtosa, also visited Barcelona and Paris during the week.

The trio attended the Barcelona-Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain-Chelsea Champions League fixtures Tuesday and Wednesday.

Brazil’s 23-man World Cup squad will be announced May 7.

The Selecao will debut in the tournament opener against Croatia June 12 before meeting Mexico June 17 and Cameroon six days later.

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